Diamond grills, Bentley Continentals and chicks with double-Ds may be standard in the hip-hop world of the rich and fabulous, but Detrick Rhodes, a.k.a. L.I.F.E., only knows what it's like to be an average student struggling for his voice to be heard over the static in the mic.
Rhodes' Jay-Z-like, life-of-the-hard-knocks rhymes, along with the beats of local DJ Explosive, Stu Pflaum, reflect street culture in Athens by using hooks and catchy refrains that keep the heads and dreads bouncing at Evolution, 19 S. Court St., and house parties alike.
I'm not trying to follow a certain format or pattern; I'm just trying to be myself. I think that's what makes me me
Rhodes said. Everybody has their own story to tell. I'm just trying to tell mine.
Rhodes sees himself as a poet who articulates his world views by writing them down rather than spitting like a freestyler, he said.
In one of his songs, Whatcha Know he puts in a little Athens nightlife flair singing, Whatcha know about them Evolution parties at night/ Whatcha know about them girls dancin' shakin' their thighs/ And them ballers in the corner with their hats to the side.
I'm doing this because I love it
not because I really have to
Rhodes said. Whether I make it to be a top 100 artist or top one artist
I'm going to be me.
Rhodes recently left Ohio University, after completing 90 credit hours, and moved to Houston, Texas, to pursue his hip-hop career.
After skipping town last year, he has perfected his skills with the guidance of nationally known artist Mike Jones and is preparing to market himself to major record labels in the hopes of being signed.
But his mere beginnings date back to when Rhodes and Pflaum hooked up through Hip Hop Congress, a student organization that looks to get students involved with hip-hop culture. The duo saw potential in one another and started to collaborate in order to expand both their talents and careers.
A DJ is the No. 1 guy a lot of emcees go to to get exposure. Mixed tapes are one of the best outlets to get your material heard on a large scale
Pflaum said. So DJs and emcees kind of go hand in hand. It's not so much a management role as it is a partnership.
Rhodes feels a crowd's vibe, goes on stage without a set list and adjusts his performance to the audience's tastes. DJ Explosive helps by tweaking his mixes and song choice to whatever the crowd is feeling, they said.
The way Detrick plans a concert
he's just able to visualize how he wants the whole aesthetic of the performance to go
and it's completely different than anything you're going to see
Pflaum said. From his entrance to his exit
it's going to be an event rather than just a routine performance.
Rhodes said he can target an audience, making them bust out break dancing moves and West Green hand signals in the air.
He has one album out in Athens, L.I.F.E., but plans to release five new tracks that will be available to download in a couple of weeks on www.e9hh.com, the Web site of Pflaum's Element 9 Hip-Hop Production, Promotion and Artist Management company. Rhodes also is releasing a new album in the spring of 2006.
Also, Pflaum is putting out his own mixed tape, which will include some of Rhodes's tracks, Pflaum's own mixes and other Element 9 artists, later this month.
As for long-term goals, Rhodes said he wants to preserve the hip-hop culture and his way of life.
I just started rapping because I had to. Rhodes said. It's just a part of me. I really didn't choose to; I tried to be quiet for a minute
